The Ultimate Body Language Book

characteristics. It is general in nature, perpetual, repetitive and provides no discernable relief (at least
not instantaneously). The context, meaning high or low stress environment provides strong clues to the
purpose of the adaptors. All proper body language reads should take context into consideration.
As we see, movements or adaptors come in two forms. They either have hidden meaning, or they do
not. Plenty of emphasis has been given by researchers on these subconscious clues on the grounds that
they would unlock secrets. However, the importance placed on adaptors is probably overstated and
oversimplified. The real goal of the body language reader is to decipher the difference between
adaptors with no meaning and movements and gestures that have actual meaning. Adaptors in crosscultural
meetings can also be potential landmines. For example, emblems, specifically because they are
culturally engrained, are emitted without conscious thought. Many Arabic countries see the sole of the
foot or the figure-four-leg cross as offensive and rude (an emblem of sorts to them) so they may
classify a Westerner as something they intent not to be. It is clear to the Westerner that they wish only
to take up a more comfortable seating position. The take-away message is to treat adaptors with the
care they deserve instead of jumping to inaccurate, embarrassing or even disastrous conclusions.